Just Like You
by Legacy Now
Summary: Wally vows to never be like his father.


After all that you put me through, you think I'd despise you. But in the end I wanna thank you. 'Cause you've made me that much stronger.

**- Fighter- Christina Aguilera**

--

**Just Like You**

~*~

---

_I could be mean  
I could be angry  
You know I could be just like you_

_I could be fake  
I could be stupid  
You know I could be just like you_

---

_14 years ago._

"How many fights have you been in this year, boy?"

A twelve year old Wallace West hung his head in humiliation, his eyes glancing at the carpet. Looking toward his mother at the kitchen table, he saw that she had the same trapped hopeless expression as Wally did. The woman had a glass of liquor in her hand, sipping the drink as if to sedate herself from this horrible nightmare. Frowning, he realized that she wouldn't step in to help save his hide this time.

"Look at me, boy. I said _LOOK_ at me!"

Wally snapped his head back to see his father's face in a crimson rage. The man's arms were swaying around violently that the lamp beside him crashed to the floor, the light-bulb breaking into tiny little shards. This was not good. A chunky hand grabbed at his face and a pungent odor of beer went straight for his nose.

"THE GODDAMN PRINCIPAL CALLS ME EVER FRIGGIN' WEEK! C'MON! GIMME A FUCKING BREAK, SPOILED BRAT! DO YOU KNOW HOW BAD THIS WILL MAKE US LOOK?! HUH?! _HUH_??!!"

His breathing was shallow from the grasp and the loud volume of his father's voice, fear spreading in every vain of his body. Tears swelled up in his eyes, but he held them back so his father wouldn't see.

Fights like these would often occur in the West household.

---

_I could be cold  
I could be ruthless  
You know I could be just like you_

---

_12 years ago._

Blood splattered from his nose as the impact from the punch made him fell, feeling the gravel underneath him as he skidded on the ground. He felt someone sitting on his torso and more blows were being directed to his face. The pain felt like hell, each fist after the next delivering the agony ten times over. With his bare strength, he shoved off his assaulter and soon felt blood on his knuckles. He had to win this fight. Losing was not an option, otherwise...

"Walk it off, walk it off!" shouted a dominate voice.

Hearing the voice of the teacher, Wally's eyes widened in terror. As he walked to the principal's office, something told him that he wasn't only getting punches in the school yard.

On days like these, he dreaded to go home.

---

_I could be weak  
I could be senseless  
You know I could be just like you_

_On my own, cause I can't take living with you  
I'm alone, so I won't turn out like you  
Want me to_

---

_10 years ago. _

"Finally!" smiled Mary as she embraced her son. "I did it... We're divorced! He won't come back, Wallace... he won't hurt us again. Not anymore!"

A smile of appreciation came across his lips, and he hugged back his mother to welcome the moment of freedom. Mary West had enough of Rudolph's broken promises and abusive nature. She couldn't put up with it one more day, so she filed a divorce. After all of the legal work was done, Rudolph West finally left the house.

"Yeah..." whispered Wally, hiding the detest for his father so his mother could have a peaceful afternoon. "At last... I'm glad he's out."

Mary gazed fondly at her son and stroked his auburn hair.

"You look so much like him..." she sighed.

"But I'm not him!" cried Wally, taking the comment as if it were an insult. So much for a calm afternoon. "I'm NOTHING like him! W-why are you saying that we have anything in common? We don't! I'm not like him, I... I hate him!"

Tears were in his eyes and he buried his face in his mother's sweater. He stayed that way for a good few minutes.

"It's okay to express your feelings..." cooed Mary. "I'm so sorry... I should have done this a long time ago...! I'm so sorry...!"

---

_**You thought you were standing beside me**  
You were only in my way  
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you_

_**You thought you were there to guide me**  
You were only in my way  
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you_

_**You thought you were there to guide me**  
You were only in my way  
You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you_

_I could be mean  
I could be angry_

* * *

_Present. _

"Mr. West? Your wife and babies are ready to see you."

A joyful smile was across his face as he entered the room where his wife was in. Today was the day he could finally see his children. They had a set of twins. _Twins_! When Eleanor was pregnant and went to the doctor's to have an x-ray, they were surprised to find that twins were in her womb. No matter what they were, the couple excepted it and looked toward the future with optimism.

He saw Eleanor holding one of the babies in her arms. The other baby was in a crib near her bed.

"Twins... this one's the boy, and the other one's the girl," smiled Eleanor. "The boy's right here."

Kissing his wife on her forehead, he looked at his sleeping newborn son. The baby boy was a brunette like his mother and had the facial features of Wally. His small little fingers curled as he slowly moved into a more comfortable position.

"He's perfect, Ella..." he whispered happily. "You did good, honey... You did good."

"We both did this..." She kissed the baby's soft cheek. "You deserve some credit as well."

A moment of silence was in the room.

"I was thinking of naming him Roscoe..." said Eleanor. "After my grandfather. You should have seen him while he was awake, he had the eyes of his great-grandfather, for sure. What do you think?"

"Roscoe..." mused Wally. "Roscoe, Oco, Rocko, Rock, Rocky? Yeah, Rocky sounds like a good name."

"He just arrived in this world, and you're teasing him already?" teased Eleanor, giggling as she kissed her husband's check. "Roscoe it is..."

He walked over to the crib and in there, he saw a baby with bright red hair.

_A redhead... just like me_, thought Wally as he picked up his newborn daughter.

Holding the baby gingerly, he placed his forehead on the baby's forehead. He closed his eyes and felt the soft breathing from the little body. It was so innocent. So fragile. It was like as if you handled the tyke roughly, it will break and fall apart. It knew no evil. It knew nothing about good. It was plain, pure innocence.

_This baby will deserve the best father in the world.__.. _thought Wally._ I'm right here... Nila. I am your father. Can you feel me? Do you know I'm here?  
_

Gazing out the window, Wally saw snowflakes blowing in the wind. They would suspended in the air, then they would fall. The wind would pick them up again, and they would go back down. It was as if they were dancers performing in a ballet.

A firm look came across Wally's face and he closed his eyes as he hugged the newborn in his arms.

_I'm not like you, old man... I'll never be like you._

---

_  
You know I could be just like you_

~*~

* * *

**Author's Note**

Um... hi? So sorry for being gone from the Justice League section. New school year's driving me bonkers. :P And FYI/heads up, "Against All Odds" might be taken down. I have other stories, and I think this one will take too much of my time. Stress is the pits. :P Lemme know if you still want it up, via PM. I was really stressed today, so writing this would be therapy work for me. haha!

I thank **Jedi X-Man Serena Kenobi **for her editing and two cents. ^^ Friends till the end! ^^

I might add another chapter for Wally's thoughts on his mother. I'm not sure if I should make it separate or just attach another chapter, but we'll see... It's another songfic. You must be tired now, huh? haha! It's "Oh, Mother" by Christina Aguilera. Yeah, she's one of my top favorite artists. Are you tired of me mentioning her in almost EVERYONE of my fics? haha!

I was watching this Tudors MV on YouTube with the same said song about Elizabeth's struggle and how she will turn out. Violent and ruthless like Henry the 8th? Flirty and cast off like unfortunate Anne Boylen? And I applied this to Wally, and here I am writing this ficlet. *hugs Wally* Poor dude... Yeah, it's probably the most darkest fic that I've written for Justice League since "Here Without You". Songfics are like AMVs on YouTube... and less tedious for people who don't have a movie maker and can't rip off of DVDs easily. haha!

Lately, I want to write more Justice League parent fics, but... I have no patience! haha! :P And they're all song fics... haha! There was this Diana and Hippolyta one, and a future generation fic with general sets of families... but I'm spoiling it for everyone! haha!

**I don't own Three Days Grace, Christina Aguilera or "Justice League". **

Peace!


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